Airbnb just banned the checkout chore list — what hosts need to change before Nov. 20

Strip the beds. Start the laundry. Haul the trash off-site. Wash and put away the dishes. For bookings under Airbnb’s new house-rules policy, that checkout chore list is over — and the cleaning still has to happen. Now it is a host cost to plan for, not a guest’s job to do for free.

What did Airbnb change?

On October 20, 2026, Airbnb announced redesigned house rules and a new house-rules policy that takes effect November 20, 2026. Hosts can now choose from seven standard rules — including maximum overnight guests, quiet hours, pets, smoking, and locking up at checkout — and add requests in one place in the listing. All requests must be reasonable under the new policy.

Which checkout chores are off the list?

Airbnb’s own examples are specific:

• Dishes: Guests shouldn’t be asked to wash and put away dishes — but a host can ask them to put used dishes in the sink.
• Laundry: Guests shouldn’t be asked to remove sheets from the bed or start a load of laundry — but a host can ask them to gather used towels.
• Trash: Guests shouldn’t be asked to take garbage off-site — but a host can ask them to separate trash and recycling into designated indoor bins.
• Amenities: Guests shouldn’t be asked to avoid using a listed amenity like air conditioning — but a host can ask them to turn it off when they leave.

Airbnb’s reason, in its own words: asking guests to do things a cleaner should handle can negatively affect their stay and the host’s reviews.

Can hosts still add rules after booking?

No — not under the new policy as Airbnb describes it. Airbnb says all house rules and requests should appear in the House rules and requests section of the listing, and hosts shouldn’t write additional rules elsewhere on the listing, in messages, or on signs in the home. Rules are also displayed more prominently on the listing, where guests can see them before they book.

What happens if a listing does not follow the new policy?

Airbnb says requests that don’t follow the new policy will be highlighted in the Listing editor, the host will be sent an email with tips for resolving the issue and a chance to appeal, and guests may see an alert on the listing — such as “includes cleaning requests” — if an issue goes unresolved. Airbnb also notes it may grant exceptions based on a host’s situation, for example trash disposal in bear country or shorter showers during a local drought.

So who pays for cleaning now?

The chores do not disappear. The work shifts to the host or to a cleaner the host pays. That makes cleaning a real operating cost to budget for and to keep records of — not an afterthought at checkout.

The IRS’s general rule for rentals is in Topic No. 414: in general, you can deduct expenses of renting property from your rental income, and real-estate rental income and expenses are generally reported on Schedule E (Form 1040). The IRS lists operating expenses as other expenses necessary for the operation of the rental property, such as fees charged by independent contractors for services provided. Whether a specific cleaning cost is deductible in a specific case depends on the facts — how the property is used, including any personal use, can change the treatment — so keep the cleaner’s invoices and payment records with your rental records and check how the cost is treated on your return before you file, rather than assuming it.

What should a host do before November 20?

• Read your own listing like a guest. Find every checkout instruction — in the listing, in saved messages, and on signs in the home — and move what is allowed into the House rules and requests section.
• Cut the cleaner-level chores. Remove wash-and-put-away dishes, stripping beds, starting laundry, and taking trash off-site from your requests.
• Keep the light requests that are still allowed. Dishes in the sink, towels gathered, trash and recycling separated into designated indoor bins, and air conditioning turned off at departure are Airbnb’s own examples of reasonable requests.
• Price the cleaning realistically. If a cleaner will now do the work, build that cost into your plan and keep the records — potentially, good records are what let a rental cost be treated correctly at tax time.

Does this ban cleaning fees?

Airbnb’s announcement is about the tasks guests are asked to do. The announcement text does not ban cleaning fees. Do not rewrite your listing as if it does — the change to plan for is who does the cleaning work, not whether a cleaning fee can exist.

Is this only about Airbnb?

This policy is Airbnb’s, announced by Airbnb for its platform. Hosts who also list elsewhere should check each platform’s own current rules — one platform’s policy does not set another platform’s rules.

Alex Volkov, CPA is a New York-licensed CPA with over two decades in accounting, focused on resolving IRS tax problems — back taxes, liens, levies, garnishments, and audits — for individuals and businesses nationwide.